Internal-combustion engine.



C. W. HIGGS.

INTERNAL UOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1909.

Patented may 1o, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT onine CHARLES WILLIAM Irrees, .on LoNnoN, ENGLAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Speciica'tion of Letters Patent. Patented 313V 10, '1910, Appiication sied August as, i909. serial No. 515,085.

and useful Improvements in Interna-l-Com bustion Engines, `of whichl the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines of the'type in -which two pistons are employed working one within the other in contrary directions.

line w-y of Fig. 1.

I propose to place between the outer and inner pistons a subsidiary intermediate cylinder which separates them and to utilize.

this cylinder for cooling purposes. The cylinder is in the forni of a water jacket through which cooling water circulates and the in* terior of the engine is thus cooled in a more direct manner than is possible with the ordinary external jacket alone. The two pistons are also ke t apart, though working one within the ot er, and travel in what are really separate intercommunicating cyliiiders. In order that my invention may be more readily understood, reference is' had'to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which :v Figure 1 is a longitudinal sect-ion bf my improved engine; and Fig. 2 is a'\ transverse section of the inner cylinder on the broken The outer cylinder A with a cooling jacket a and has an admission opening a1 in the tp. The cylinder ismounted upon the engine casing B which serves to support, through the internal iange b, the subsidiary or inner cylinder C, in the form of an internalvwater jacket, having the cooling water inlet and outlet c and- 01, shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of this cylinder forms an exhaust space or ring D with ports QZ and exhaust pipe (ZL.

The upper or outer piston E -travels within the cylinderAand encircles the subsidiary cylinder or water jacket ,'on which it slides;V yIt is connected though rods e at each side (passing throudfh openings in flan e bj to the cranks f oftheengine shaft Y ithin the cylinder C is the second or inner piston G traveling inthe opposite direction to E and connected by the central 'piston rod g to the crank f1 seto 1posite'ly to the cranks f. The. central cran f1 1s of greater length than the outer cranks f to is as usual providedfyiously admitted through the ports channels a2 to the interior of the piston E is give theiiiner piston an increased stroke. This compensates for its smaller area and distributes the power more equally between the pistons. The volume swept by the piston E in the cylinder the volumes swept by the separation of the two pistons.A It will be noted that the connecting rods do not differ greatly in length owing to the relative positions of the pistons and the compact construction.

The' ignition plug is placed at h' in the lower end of the cylinder A and at the side of the ignition space or chamber H formed between the two pistons. Communication is established at the proper moment between this ignition and working space H and the outer end of the cylinder A by means of the channels or ring of recesses a2 and the corresponding ports c1 in the piston E, which uncover the recesses a2 at the end of the outer stroke. Valves may be used in place of this arrangement if found preferable. The water jacket or inner cylinder C partly divides the ignition space H by the overhanging portion c2 thus increasing the cooling surface and assisting the scavenging, insuring the new charge being separated from any remaining products of combustion and eliminating the probability of missfres.

The genei'al'operation is as follows: As the pistons approach each other the charge is drawn into the outer cylinder A through the induction valve, while the charge precl' and compressed between the two pistons, which by their different throw perform equal work in compressing. At about the position of greatest compression, as shown in Fig. l, the charge in the explosion space H is tired by the ignition plug and the pistons E and 'G separate throughout the working stroke.

Toward the end of this outer stroke the piston G uncovers the exhaust ports al through the cylinde r.C; thereupon the ports e1 of the piston E are opened to the channels a2 and the charge which has in the meantime been compressed in the upper end of the cylinder A expands into Vthe internal chamber between the pistons and drives out the products of combustion before it. The top e2 of the piston E is downwardly conical in shape to assist scavenging and has radial strengthenin ribs e3 on its upper side which l assist in cooling the top of piston. The `top of the inner piston is also conical upwardly.

A should be equal to 'within the other,

As the charge rushes in on all sides through the channels a2 it is directed toward the center and is not scattered throughout the space. sist in guiding the charge and the escaping products in the proper direction so that the used up gases are driven outwardly into the exhaustring at the bottom. Soon after the beginning of the return stroke both the exhaust and inlet ports are closed and the compression begins, repeating the cycle ot' loperations above described.

What l` claim as my invent-ion and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. Inan internal combustion engine,

the

' combination with an outer cylinder and two oppositely moving pistons traveling one within the other, of a secondary intermediate cylinder separating the two pistons.

2. In an internal combustion engine,the combination with anl outer cylinder and two oppositely moving pistons traveling one of a secondary intermediate cylinder in the form of a water jacket separating the two pistons and giving an internal cooling surface.

' 3., In an internal combustion engine the combination with an outer cylinder and two The conical tops of the pistons .as-

oppositely moving pistons, of a lseparating cylindrical water jacket between the plstons, haring an overhanging ange at its inner en 4. lnan internal combustion engine hav'- ing two oppositely moving telescopic pistons, ,a secondary separating cylinder between the pistons in the form of a water jacket, having exhaust ports at its outer end uncovered by the inner piston.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with an external cylinder having a compression space at itsouter end and admission channels immediately below the compression space, admission ports around its sides admitting the explosive mixture to its interior and an internally coned end, an inner piston with coned end and inder between the two pistons having eX- haust ports uncovered by the inner piston, substantially as herein described.

, In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two'witnesses. CHARLES WILLIAM HIGGS. Witnesses:

FRANK W. PATfrlSoN, H. D. JAMESON.

an outer piston having',

a secondary separating eyl- 4 

